Process for rolling steel rails



May 1,1928. v 1,667,875

L. SMlTH PROCESS FOR ROLLING STEEL RAILS Filed Nov. 6, 1925 Patented May 1, 1928.

UNITED STATES P i C LUTHER SMITH, or NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR or TWOTSEVENTHS rm; CENT mo WILSON sco'r'r, 'rwo-sEvnN'rHsrER CENT TO WILLIAM GREEN, oNE- .snvnN'rn PER GENT TO MONTGOMERY wiLsoN, AND oNnfsnvnN'rn, T0 HAMPTON STEWART, ALL or NORRISTOWN, PENSYLVANIA.

rnocnss non ROLLING sTEELnAILs.

Applicationfiled November 6, 1925. Serial No. 67,488.

This invention relates to a process for roll-' ing' steel rails.

An object of the invention is to provide a process for rolling rails having lock joints or other connecting means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process for rolling rails and forming upon the respective ends thereof lock joints or other connecting means at a time when the rail is partly rolled and before it becomes too chilled to readily take'the form of the die.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rocess for rolling steel rails having u on t eir respective ends lock joints or 0t er connecting means, the locking joints or other connecting means being formed upon each end of the rail simultaneously, at a predetermined time during the rolling process and before the rail has become too chilled to readily take the imprint of the die for striking such locking means.

With these and other objects in view which may be incident to my process, the invention consists in certain progressive steps in the production of steel rails, which may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting the invention in its useful application.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a cross sectional view illustrating rollers adapted for rolling a billet in rectangular form;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the die for forming a locking means upon the ends of a partly formed rail;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view illustrating rollers adapted for rolling a railroad rail;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a die for forming locking joints, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an end of a rail having a locking joint formed thereupon.

In carrying my invention into actual practice, I take an ingot equal in weight to the weight of a finished rail. It is understood, of course, that an ingot of a certain weight,

which is predetern'iined, will produce or roll a rail of a certain size and length.

The ingot is first rolled in rectangularform as shown at 1. This is accomplished by passing the ingot between oppositely disposed vertical rollers 2 and oppositely dis posed. horizontal rollers 3. The irollers 2 and 3 are arranged in pairs and a series of such pairs graduated in such a manner that when the ingot has passed between the entire series, there is produced a rectangular rail uniform throughout its entire length.

The rectangular rail 1 produced-in the manner above described is then placed be tween the die members 4 and 5. The die members 4 and 5 are adjusted to the respective ends of the rectangular rail 1 before the rail becomes too chilled to readily take the'form of the dies. The diemembers are open at one end, as shown at 6, and closed at the other end as at 7. The closed ends 7 prevent the flow of the metal in one direction, thus any metal not required to form the lock joint is forced out from between the dies into the body of the rail 1. This action takes place when hydraulic or steam pressure is applied to the dies through the connection indicated at 8. It is of course to be understood that eachend of the rail, in. its rectangular form, is subjected to the action of the dies simultaneously.

The forming of the lock joint upon the respective ends of the rectangular rail may follow one after the other in rapid suces sion, such action should be as rapid as possible to obtain the best results.

The rectangular rail 1, after receiving the imprint of the die members 4 and 5, presents a rail having ends such as shown at 9. Other forms of joints may be struck without deviating from my invention. After the joints have been formed upon the ends of the rectangular rail, the rolling is completed by passing the rectangular rail, with the joints thus formed. upon its respective ends, be tween oppositely disposed parallel rollers 10 and oppositely disposed rollers 11. The rollers 10 and 11 are arranged in pairs and a series of such pairs of rollers are graduated to produce a rail in its ultimate form, as shown at 12. It is of course to be understood that any form of rail may be rolled.

While I have shown and described the I preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details. as it is ap parent that changes and variations may be made therein, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the.invention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the various features of my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A process for rolling steel rails comprising, the partial shaping of a billet, the pressing of the ends of the partially' shaped billet simultaneously to produce locking members, and then completing the shaping of the rails by rolling a. flange and tread thereon.

2. A process for rolling steel rails comprising the rolling of a billet in rectangular form, pressingthe ends to produce locking members, and then rolling to produce a flange and tread.

A process :tor rolling steel rails comprising the rolling of a billet in rectangular form, the pressing of the ends of the rectangular 'l'orin simultaneously to produce locking members, and then rolling to form a flange and tread,

"l"- A process for rolling steel rails comprising" the rolling of a billet in rectangular form. the pressing of the opposite faces of each end of the rectangular faces simultaneously to produce locking members. and then rolling the billet to form a flange and tread.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LUTHER SMITH. 

